Vibratory tone enhancing and reinforcing bar for stringed musical instruments



May 28, 1940. Lv KAPELMAN 2,202,208

VIBRATORY TONE ENHANCING AND REINFORCING BAR FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Sept. 19, 1939 Li 3 l1 H H IT M I M w 7 7 w 3 0 4 /4 /d F If I J L L// M 4 172 .5

5 4/4 Inventor /5 Z aazls fia erezmam A tiomeys Patented May 28, 1940 UNITEDv STATES kATENT OFFICE WBRAT'ORY TONE ENHANCING AND REIN- FORCING BAR FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improved violin body and particularly to what is believed to be a new style tone enhancing and intensifying bass-bar carried by the under side of the belly and occupying a somewhat conventional place in parallelism between the f-holes and beneath the G string.

As the foregoing statement implies, I am well aware that many different forms and styles of so-called bass-bars have been adopted and used in violin body construction. Moreover, I am conversant with the fact that after the natural wood shell is perfected and the instrument graduated to final finish, the proportions and character of the bass-bar may vary in each given case. Then too, I am aware that violin makers are all inspired to construct and perfect instruments possessed of an expected degree of profundity and resonance of tone. Thus, it can be said that I am, like my predecessors, attempting to devise and design a bass-bar equipped body or shell which is specifically difierent, structurally speaking, and susceptible of producing delightful and masterful tones.

In reducing to practice the principles of this. invention, I have discovered that a twin style bass-bar made up of longitudinally bowed members centrally joined together is the ideal adaptation and perhaps the apex of perfection in a construction of this class. What is more important, however, I have found that employing companion sections or members and imparting thereto a longitudinal shape so that the free ends are spaced from the overlying belly, supersensitive vibration is acquired while at the same time providing for adequate stress and strain distribution.

As will be hereinafter seen, the invention relates broadly to stringed musical instruments such as violins, viola, cello, double bass and the like, and it is within the purview of the inventive concept to utilize either the aforementioned duplex or twin style substitute bass-bar, or to place a single improved style vibratory bar parallel to and alongside of the so-called standard bassbar.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a top plan View of a conventional violin showing the improved duplex style bassbar incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken approximately on the plane of the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the bass-bar per se.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing a modification, that is, a single auxiliary bass-bar alongside of the rigid bass-bar such as is now used in violins and the like.

It seems unnecessary insofar as the invention is concerned, to describe with particularity the various accessories such as the tailpiece, bridge, neck, strings, and so on. Therefore, we will begin by identifying the hollow body with the ref erence character 5. As usual the body includes the customarily shaped rim 6, this being interposed between the curvate back 7 and the top or so-called belly B. As usual the part 8 is provided with opposed j-shaped tone holes 9.

The duplex bass-bar is denoted as a unit, by the numeral Ill. As before indicated it is made up of a pair of relatively thin longitudinally elongated and curved sections or bar members ll. These are duplicates in design and are disposed in spaced parallelism by an intervening connecting block i2. This may be a separate piece or formed integral with the parts II. The block is relatively short and makes for stability of the part 50 as a unit. The crown portions of the respective bars H are glued or otherwise fastened as at !3 to the under side of the crown portion of the belly. The point of attachment is directly beneath the G string. It will be noticed, however, that the curvature of the elements I l is such that the free ends 14 are detached and spaced from the adjacent overlying portions of said belly. It is evident, too, that the device IB as a whole is of a length considerably less than the longitudinal dimension of the belly. For the want of a better expression, I have conveniently referred to the bass-bar as of a floating type. By this I mean that the free ends I4 literally float in the tone chamber.

So far as I know the conventional bass-bar is of one piece construction being a solid strip and glued or fastened from end to end, the under side of the belly of the body. I am aware, however, that certain prior art devices have employed composite and sectional bars. So far as is known, the duplex arrangement herein shown and described, particularly when made up of relatively thin vibratory strips and adjoined by a connecting block i2 is new. Not only this, the variance in curvature between the belly and members I l is new in the sense that the extreme curvature of the ends M is such as to space these from the body to provide the augmented vibrational results which I have achieved. It is thought therefore that I have evolved and produced a novel contribution to this particular line of endeavor.

Attention is now invited to the modification identified in Fig. 5. Reference being had to this, it will be seen that the belly 3 of the violin body 5 is provided with two individual tone equalizing bars, that is to say, the bar A is a conventional bass-bar. This is found in the construction of most of our present-day violins. In contour and shape it represents the twin-style bars already described in the specification. It will be noticed, however, that the central portion as well as the tapered end B attach permanently to the under side of the belly 3. That is to say the bar A from one end to the other is rigidly secured to the belly t. The single auxiliary and improved bar corresponds to one of the twin elements previously described. That is to say, the so-called floating ends it are detached from the belly while the central crown portion is permanently attached. Thus, it is within the purview of the invention to use a single bar l5 with detached flexible ends it to augment the already existing bass-bar A. Or, the bar A can be completely omitted and the duplex or twin-bar ii! substituted therefor.

As brought in the introductory portion of the specification, the invention is adaptable for use in connection with stringed musical instruments of the violin family. That is to say, while the drawing and specification pertain principally to a conventional violin, the invention is applicable to a viola, a cello, or a double-bass and the claims should be so interpreted.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawing. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size, and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resoited to in actual practice, if desired.

I claim:

As a new article of manufacture and as a component part of a violin body, a unified bass-bar attachment comprising a pair of rectilinear vibratory relatively thin duplicate strips, said strips being coextensive and longitudinally bowed and disposed in opposed parallelism from end to end, the convexed crown-edges of said strips curving in predetermined arcs and the arcuate curvatures being continuous from end to end, and a relatively short centrally disposed assembling and spacing block interposed between the adjacent inner opposed faces of the strips and connecting the same together in assembled companionate relationship, whereby to provide a triple element assembly wherein the major areas of the crown edges of said strips may be attached to the under-side of the belly of the violin body leaving only the terminal ends free of contact with said belly.

LOUIS KAPELMAN. 

